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MMwol RocoM 



Published In the Interest of Hardwood Lumber, American Hardwood Forests. Wood Veneer Industry, Hardwood Flooring, 

 Hardwood Interior Finish, Wood Chemicals, Saw Mill and Woodworking Machinery. 



Vol. XXIII. 



CHICAGO. APRIL 10. 1907. 



No. 12. 



Published on the 10th and 25th of each month by 



THE HARDWOOD COMPANY 



Henry H. Gibson. President Frank W. Tuttle. Sec-TYeas. 



OFFICES 

 Sixin Floor Ellsworth Bldg., 355 Dearborn St Chicago, III., U.S.A. 



Telephones: Harrison 4960 Automatic 5659 



TERMS OF ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION 



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In all other countries in Universal Postal Union ..... 3.00 

 Subscriptions are payable in advance, and in default of written orders to the 

 contrary are continued at our option. 



The entire contents of this publication are covered by the genera! copy- 

 right, and articles must not be reprinted without special permission. 

 Entered at Chicago Postoffice as Second Class Matter. 



Advertising copy must be received five days in advance of 

 Publication date. Advertising rates on application. 



ASSOCIATION MEETINGS. 



Michigan Hardwood Manufacturers' Association. 



This association will hold a special meeting at the Hotel 

 Pantlind, Grand Rapids, Mich., on Wednesday, April 17. 



National Hardwood Lumber Association. 



The tenth annual convention of this association will be 

 held on Thursday and Friday, May 23 and 24, 1907, at 

 Atlantic City, N. J. 



National Lumber Manufacturers' Association. 



This organization will hold its annual meeting on Tuesday 

 and Wednesday, May 28 and 29, at the Auditorium on the 

 Jamestown Exposition grounds, Norfolk, Va. 



General Market Conditions. 



Reports from nearly every hardwood consuming district of the 

 I'nited States ate indicative of healthy and active buying. While 

 oak and poplar remain strong features in the general demand, the 

 call for southern ash and hickory far exceeds possibilities of supply. 

 It is noticeable that both white and red quartered oak are in increas- 

 ing demand. There is a dearth of the better grades of poplar and 

 Cottonwood, with a tendency to increased values. 



Of the northern woods common birch, which has been in ove] 

 supply for a long time, is showing material strength and nm uses 

 seem to have been developed for this wood which are taking large 

 quantities of it. In fact all grades of birch are doing much better 

 than in the past. There is a marked scarcity of basswood, which 

 has been bought up to the point of exhausting practically all the 

 dry stock. An increased inquiry for thick maple is noted, indicative 

 of a prospective shortage of this class of stock. It will be recalled 

 that two years ago thick maple was cut in excess of the demand, 

 but during the past year comparatively little has been sawed, and the 

 demand has now reached the limit of the thick stock on hand. 



The call for mahogany is fully ti|> to production, and no concern 

 manufacturing this wood is accumulating any stock. Prices are 

 showing a little added strength, and conditions warrant the assump- 

 tion that they will be considerably higher in the near future. 



All the hardwood flooring plants producing oak. maple and beech 

 flooring report an active demand, and sales are being readily made 

 on the recently advanced schedule of values. 



The veneer business is good in volume but prices are still ranging 

 low on account of the numerous advance contracts that have been 

 made during the past year. Quite a number of plants are still sold 

 six months in advance, and a number of these institutions could have 

 obtained considerably more money for their output had they not 

 loaded down so heavily with orders. 



There is an increased call for dimension stock, notably in oak and 

 hickory, from furniture and minor woodworking factories. The for- 

 eign demand for dogwood and persimmon billets seems to be increas- 

 ing and quite an export trade is being developed in these woods. 



Weather conditions through the entire range of hardwood produc- 

 ing sections have been very good for the last fortnight, and the 

 output is manifestly increasing. At the same time if active manu- 

 facturing requirements continue at the present stage there is going 

 to be a good deal of hustling for dry lumber of all varieties before 

 next fall. It is practically certain that there will be no diminution 

 in values; on the contrary, quite a number of varieties and grades 

 of wood will show a considerable accretion in price within a short 

 time. 



Three Matters of Importance. 



The three subjects that appeal to the average lumberman as of 

 paramount importance at the present time are: the development 

 of the internal system of waterways of the country; the working 

 out of forestry problems and a practical system of reforestry; 

 and, of special interest to the hardwood element of the trade, the 

 unification of hardwood inspection rules and the promulgation of a 

 system for their practical application. 



It has become a well -recognized fact that the commerce of the 

 I'nited States has outgrown the facilities of the railroads to prop- 

 erly and promptly transport its natural and manufacture,! products. 



Then rtainly can be no immediate relief expected from railroad 



sources for this congested condition of freight traffic; but if relief 



si Id ever be volunteered from this quarter, it will come last to 



what are known as coarse products — lumber, stone, Coal, etc. The 

 natural distribution of our remarkably fine watercourses is such 

 that they are admirably adapted for relieving the railroads from 

 carrying long distances the major portion of tin- coarse products. 

 provided a moderate appropriation for their improvement and main- 

 tenance is forthcoming. This movement should have the hearty and 

 unqualified support of every lumberman, as the project probably means 

 more to this industry than any other. When the lumber of the 

 entire lower Mississippi Valley can be delivered by barge or boat 

 to Chicago and to various ports along (he chain of Great Lakes, 

 it means more than the mere regulation of mil charges — it means 

 practical economy in tin; movement of bulk products. 



Conservative lumbering in the remainder of the forest area of this 

 country is another subject that should hold the attention and insure 

 the cooperation of the hardwood lumber fraternity; and, further, the 

 rehabilitation of the forests which once protected the sources of our 



